Grand Forks County

Red River Valley title page vol 2

Biography of Luther B. Richardson of Grand Forks North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Luther B. Richardson, born March 22, 1836, in Cheshire, Massachusetts, relocated with his family to Plattsburg and then Lowville, New York. In 1882, he moved to Grand Forks, Dakota Territory, where he played a key role in organizing the Union National Bank, serving as its president. Richardson was deeply involved in public affairs, serving as Secretary of the Territory of North Dakota in 1889 and Mayor of Grand Forks from 1890 to 1894. Known for his enterprise and prudence, he passed away on July 20, 1901, in Grand Forks, survived by his wife and one son.

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Biography of Louis K. Hassell of Grand Forks North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Louis K. Hassell, born August 19, 1862, near Hamar, Norway, became a prominent resident of Grand Forks, North Dakota. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1881, he worked in various legal and governmental positions. He edited the Norwegian newspaper “Tidende” and founded the “Normanden.” Hassell served as clerk of the district court from 1889, elected four times, and later as county judge. Active in the Republican party and various fraternal organizations, he married Sophia A. Anderson in 1886, and they had four children: Clarence L., Selma L., Olga O., and Agnes F.

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Biography of Kenneth Campbell Hunter of Grand Forks North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Kenneth Campbell Hunter, a contractor and builder in Grand Forks, North Dakota, was born January 28, 1858, in Huron County, Ontario, Canada. Son of Kenneth Hunter and Ann Campbell Hunter, he moved to North Dakota in 1881 and pursued a career in contracting and building. Between 1884 and 1889, he lived in Crookston, Minnesota, before returning to Grand Forks. Hunter served as an alderman and held shares in the Grand Forks Building and Developing Company. He married Margaret E. Willow on June 5, 1884, and they had several children. He was an active member of several fraternal organizations and the First Presbyterian Church.

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Biography of Michael F. Murphy of Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Michael F. Murphy, born March 28, 1858, in Dubuque County, Iowa, became a prominent figure in Grand Forks, North Dakota. After a diverse career in bookkeeping and sales, he co-founded Collins & Murphy in 1886, growing it into the state’s largest farm implement and fuel business. Post-1893, he excelled in the insurance industry and was highly active in public affairs, including serving on the Grand Forks city council, school board, and as a state senator. Married to Margaret E. Bowler in 1882, they had eight children, with Margaret notably surviving a tragic 1909 steamship collision.

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Biography of Moses Norman of Grand Forks North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Moses Norman, born September 9, 1863, in Henderson, Minnesota, was a prominent businessman in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He moved to Grand Forks in 1882, later establishing an undertaking business in Lakota before returning to Grand Forks in 1901 to run a successful undertaking and furniture business. Active in civic affairs, Norman served on the local school board from 1895 and held leadership positions in the Furniture Dealers Association and the Irish American Club. A Democrat and devout Roman Catholic, he married Ella Clara Lynch in 1886, with whom he had six children.

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Biography of Nels Tandberg of Northwood North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Nels Tandberg, born March 20, 1859, in Gran Hedeland, Norway, emigrated to Iowa with his parents in 1871. After attending public schools, he moved to Northwood, North Dakota, in 1877, where he homesteaded. Tandberg attended Franklin High School, taught for two years, and later ventured into business, focusing on real estate, loans, and insurance. A strong Republican, he served in the first North Dakota State Legislature in 1889 and as Deputy Sheriff of Grand Forks County for twelve years. He married Belle Olson in 1891, but she passed away in 1892 during a trip to Norway.

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Biography of Newel Green Larimore of Larimore North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Newell Green Larimore, born August 29, 1835, in Bourbon County, Kentucky, was the son of Wilson L. Larimore and Harriet Berry Larimore. Raised on a farm in St. Louis County, Missouri, he graduated from Wyman’s High School. He married Susan Ashbrook in 1855, with whom he had two sons, Walter L. and Clay. After Susan’s death in 1862, he married Mollie E. Jameson in 1867, and had two more children, Jameson and Cora. Larimore co-founded several companies, including the St. Louis Warehouse Company and the Central Elevator Company. He also played significant roles in civic organizations and farming enterprises in St. Louis and North Dakota.

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Biography of Oliver Sigvard Hanson of Grand Forks, North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Oliver Sigvard Hanson, born June 3, 1862, in Hanover Township, Iowa, was a prominent banking figure in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Son of Norwegian immigrants Hans A. and Maren Hanson, he moved to North Dakota in 1881. By 1884, he managed the State Bank of Buxton and eventually became president of the State Bank of Grand Forks, the Scandinavian American Bank of Grand Forks, and the State Bank of Buxton, as well as vice president of the State Bank of Grandon. Although interested in politics, he primarily focused on banking. In 1892, he married Louise Sorlie, and they had five children: Harley Irving, Meryn Herbert, Verdine Olive, Charlotte Louise, and Caroline Josephine.

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Biography of Oscar C. G. Knudson of Grand Forks North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Oscar C. G. Knudson, born October 17, 1872, in Faribault, Minnesota, was a prominent business figure in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Educated in the public schools of Grand Forks, he held various jobs before becoming a clerk at the Columbia Hotel on May 1, 1902, managed by his father. Knudson was well-regarded in social circles and participated actively in organizations such as the Elks, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Knights of Pythias. He married Louise Torguson from Alma, Wisconsin, in November 1900.

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Biography of Otto Sougstad of Northwood North Dakota

Grand Forks County /

Otto Sougstad, born March 23, 1876, in Christiania, Norway, was the secretary and treasurer of the Northwood Hardware Company in Northwood, North Dakota. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1885, he was educated in Belmond, Iowa, and at the Business College of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. Sougstad served in the Spanish-American War, rising to first sergeant. He later held various positions, including chief clerk of the North Dakota House of Representatives and city judge of Northwood. He married Ida Johnston on March 2, 1901, and they had two children, Palmer Joseph and Irene Sophia.

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